Get Her Back

Chapter 3

The Hawthornes are an old money, rich family with a legacy at Princeton. Several generations of Hawthornes have attended that university and inherited the ancient house on the outskirts of Fairlake.

Dylan felt as if he had single-handedly thrown Camilla into a doom. He kept hearing Shayla's words in his ear;

"Camilla's foster parents are not Wilsons. They are, in fact, called the Hawthornes"

He felt as if maybe he could've done something. Maybe there was a way he could've known that they were not the fosters. He couldn't stop internally beating himself up. What if he'd checked?

But it was obvious now. Something was going on here.

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Dylan made sure he saw the lawyer leaving the office before he made his way up there.

"Dylan! That's the second time today!" Attorney McKinnons' secretary beamed at him. She looked like she was leaving for the day as it was already dusk.

"Hey! So, can I quickly go up and see Attorney McKinnons? I think I accidentally left my wallet up there and maybe he found it?"

"Can you come back tomorrow, Dylan? He's already left for the day and I'm in a bit of a rush." Dylan bit his lip.

"I wouldn't ask you to do this but I really need my wallet. Is it okay if I go up and get it myself?"

The secretary bit her lip and slowly nodded.

"But please… don't get me into trouble okay?"

Dylan smiled at her and jogged up the stairs. He made his way towards the computer and powered it. "ENTER PASSWORD" flashed across the screen.

Dylan internally groaned. How was he meant to find the password? He reached under the table and felt around the edges hoping to find a clue. His hand hit a taped piece of paper. "Bingo!" he slowly removed the piece of paper and saw what was written "McKinnon&Wilson" Dylan's blood ran cold. He knew it! He quickly typed in the password and went to his emails. He typed in the word Anderson and some messages showed up. But one stood out the most.

"Amy, dear, she is the best hope you have. Buying that house has completely emptied your bank account! The Andersons have left a hefty sum in her trust fund. Get her married then keep her as a servant! Give me your address and I will send you her details. Take her tomorrow."

He received only one email after that. The most important one.

"Greendale, building no. 5 right after the Greendale open ground."

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Dylan stopped by the Fairlake police station to give them a copy of the emails he read and soon left with backup to go to Greendale, another town just two hours away from Fairlake.

To Dylan, however, every minute felt as long as a day. He couldn't think about what Camilla must be going through. The adrenaline was coursing through his body. He stepped on the gas.

"I'm on my way, Cami."

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The moment his car stopped before the bungalow, he threw open the door and raced inside. The two-storied bungalow had a light layer of dust surrounding all the furnishings as if someone had moved in and were just getting around to cleaning it.

The police were following him at a safe distance on the road but he couldn't wait for them to arrive. He flew up the stairs.

Finally, he reached a locked door with a smart lock. One that needed a passcode. "I've seen this lock before!" Dylan remembered his dad using a similar lock for their family safe. "the numbers match the time!"

Punching in the numbers, he heard a soft beep and let himself in. The room was dark and he saw a silhouette in the corner of the room slumped over what looked like a mattress.

"Camilla!" Dylan softly screamed. The figure stirred.

"D… Dylan?" he sprinted over to her and knelt. He outstretched his arms but she… flinched. He recoiled. Her face turned towards the light and his eyes widened in surprise. He'd left her alone for less than a day and already her left eye was red, swollen, and bruised. She also had a mark of fingers on her right cheek and she couldn't sit upright.

Camilla slowly came out of her stupor and melted into Dylan's arms, sobbing violently. He held her as close as possible. Dylan slowly helped her up and decided it was better if they left right now before the lady found them.  Dylan's anger burned like vitriol.

"What do you think you are doing?" Dylan turned around; the anger visible on his face. Amy took a step back. But it happened in a flash. She brought out a pistol from behind a flower vase. "Take her and I'll kill both of you." Her words dripped venom.

The group of policemen that accompanied Dylan slowly surrounded them. The pistol fired and one of the policemen dove in front of Dylan. The bullet hit him square in the chest. He looked up and smirked.

"I'm wearing a bulletproof vest."

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 After Amy was arrested, Dylan took Camilla to the Hawthorne mansion, to her real foster parents, who accepted her. Pretty soon Camilla had a therapist visiting her three times a week to help her cope with that day and the fact that her parents pleaded guilty to planting the bombs.

Dylan finally figured out what happened. Amy was Attorney McKinnon's sister. They were also jealous of the Andersons because of their bank accounts. McKinnons thought that giving Camilla to his sister would help her and him. The man who showed up at the airport with Amy was an amateur actor who thought that it was an audition. His body was found in the Fairlake river.

And as for Dylan and Camilla, you are invited to their official engagement and eventual marriage!

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